Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said no-one should swim in Cid Harbour at any time.

"We can't be clearer — don't swim in Cid Harbour," he said.

"Drum lines or not, no-one should swim in Cid Harbour."

The man mauled in the most recent attack was airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital on Monday night with critical leg and wrist injuries and rushed to surgery, but died a short time later.

Ms Barwick, who is still recovering in Tasmania after being bitten on the upper leg in the water at Cid Harbour on September 19, released a short statement on Tuesday saying she was shocked to hear of a third shark incident in the Whitsundays.

"I feel devastated for the family and friends of this young man," Ms Barwick said in the statement.

"I know that he would have received the best of care available from the Queensland Health Service, including RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter crew and my heart goes out to all involved.

"His associates and friends on board the vessel are extremely distraught … they've been supported and are going through a hell of a time no doubt," he said.

"I've been in the Whitsunday area on and off for 30 years and apart from some minor nips and bites here and there over that period of time I've never heard of any substantial attacks such as what we've seen in these three attacks."

The yacht was rented from Cumberland Charter Yachts, whose general manager Sharon McNally said they were shocked and saddened.

"We continue to remind all boat operators and their guests not to swim at dawn or dusk, not to swim in murky water and not to swim in Cid Harbour at any time."

Drum lines 'won't remove attack risk'

When questioned about how the Government would respond to the shark attacks, Ms Jones said tourism operators had been actively warning swimmers of the dangers and that the Whitsundays community did not want shark drum lines.

She said more signs would be installed, reinforcing that no-one should swim in Cid Harbour under any circumstances.

"Furthermore the evidence shows that we can't — even with drum lines — get rid of all the risks associated with sharks in the Whitsundays," Ms Jones said.

"We certainly would not want to give people a false sense of safety in an area where we could not guarantee it.

"We've been working hand in glove with both Tourism Whitsunday and the Whitsunday Council about ensuring that we are providing tourists with that information about the risks associated with swimming in those waters."

Authorities are encouraging boaties in Cid Harbour to refrain from throwing food scraps overboard as it may be encouraging sharks to the site.

At the time, Fisheries was unable to say whether that shark had been responsible for either of the September attacks and the drum lines were removed after a week.

Beachgoers need 'fair protection'

Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan said it was madness that drum lines were not used to protect any of the beaches in the Whitsundays.

"The minister responsible should be fixing it in the public interest, particularly after this fatality," he said.

"We need to make sure we give our beachgoers fair protection. There are no guarantees here, none at all."

He said tourists needed to be better educated about the dangers of swimming at dawn or dusk

"I think government needs to be working with industry in educating people who run a yacht or rent a boat and go out for a trip of a lifetime, an experience of a lifetime, in the place that I call paradise," he said.

"This event happened less than 24 hours ago and an investigation is underway, of course this event is terribly tragic and let's see what the experts have to say about what steps and measures have to be taken."

Humane Society International's Lawrence Chlebeck said locals know there could be tiger sharks in the harbour and people should be told not to swim there.

"The knee-jerk culling of sharks at Cid Harbour was clearly not the answer. Lethal drum lines provide a false sense of security and are tremendously unpopular with the public," he said.

"Permanent and prominent signage and education to prevent swimming would have been much more effective."

The group says it is challenging the use of 173 drumlines deployed in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, with a hearing due in court at the end of January.

Bowen-based commercial fisherman Nathan Donaldson said the Great Barrier Reef had become a major breeding ground for bull sharks.

"I returned from sea after a 10-day trip … and every single day packs of these bull sharks were harassing us wherever we go, and that will be the same for every single commercial live trout boat that's left on the Great Barrier Reef," Mr Donaldson said.

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